Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement Research

Quality assurance and quality improvement initiatives are being performed widely across the respiratory care profession. Common goals of quality assurance and quality improvement include the detection and prevention of errors, establishment of standards to improve respiratory care practice, and overall delivery of quality care to the patient. For these reasons, respiratory care departments participate in quality assurance and quality improvement initiatives at multiple levels: (1) interdepartmental (hospital/systemwide/multi-center), (2) intradepartmental (local/respiratory care department), or (3) grassroots approach (bottom-up approach). Utilization of a systematic approach to quality assurance and quality improvement is essential in ensuring the work is germane, and using appropriate research methodology can assure the results can benefit a generalized audience. A description of quality assurance and quality improvement research is presented with considerations and examples from Respiratory Care.